Mass based low product indicator

ABSTRACT

A dispenser dispenses a consumable product from a container. The container is supported within a housing by a container holder. The container holder is vertically moveable within a movement range in the housing. A biasing structure biases the container holder upwardly. A sign is connected to move up and down with the container holder. An indicator associated with the sign is vertically fixed relative to the housing. When an amount of product remaining in the container reaches a low level, the biasing force of the biasing structure will lift the container holder, causing the indicator to be aligned with a portion of the sign that gives a visual cue to a user that the amount of product remaining is at a low level.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to dispensers that dispense a productfrom a container. More specifically, this invention relates toapparatuses and methods for indicating when the level of productremaining in the container is low, such that the container may need tobe replaced or refilled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Dispensers that dispense a consumable product from a container have manyuses. In general, such dispensers will have an outlet that is fluidlyconnected to the container to draw the consumable product out of thecontainer and eventually out of the outlet. The product may be mixedwith a liquid, such as a diluent to form a mixture, either before orafter reaching the outlet. As the consumable product is dispensed, thelevel of consumable product remaining within the product container willdrop, until the container is eventually empty or nearly empty, such thatno more of the consumable product can be effectively withdrawn from thecontainer. It is therefore desirable for a user to know when the levelof the product within the container is getting low, so that the user canhave a replacement container or supply of product available so thatdowntime when the container runs out of product is minimized.

For products that can be stored in translucent containers it may bepossible for a user to simply visually inspect the container todetermine when the container has reached a low level, such that thecontainer may soon be expected to run out of product. However, someproducts degrade when exposed to light, or other types of radiation,such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Such degradable products need to bestored in opaque containers or that prevent visual inspection of levelof product remaining within the container. Alternatively, the containeritself may be hidden from view within housing other protective cover.

Accordingly, there is a need for mechanisms that permit a user to checkwhether a consumable product within a container is at a low level or hasbeen exhausted of a container. For example, peroxyacietic acid mixedwith hydrogen peroxide forms a cleaning concentrate that can be dilutedwith water to form a mixture that has a broad spectrum efficacy againstmost viruses and bacteria, which makes the solution useful in both thefood and beverage market and the health care market. Such a concentratemust be stored in opaque bottles to prevent the concentrate from UVdegradation. Co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/734,532,filed Dec. 7, 2012, related to a system for handling displacement ofliquid products, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated byreference, describes a dispenser that may be used to dispense a cleaningsolution using such a product. Such dispensers would benefit from aconvenient, reliable mechanism for indicating that the concentratecontainer is running low on product. Preferably such a system would notrequire a supply of electricity, and could be verified without the needto access the container directly, which will preferably be retainedwithin a locked compartment.

Many dispensers include a disposable or refillable container ofconcentrated product. The chemistry of these concentrated products oftenmake them dangerous to humans or the environment in their concentratedform. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a mechanism for containingand disposing of any accidental spills or catastrophic failures of theconcentrated product from the container. Preferably, such a mechanismwill retain the spilled concentrated product within the dispenser, andwill allow for convenient and safe cleanup and disposal of the spilledconcentrated product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment the present invention is a dispenser thatdispenses a product. The dispenser includes an outer housing. A productcontainer contains a product, and the product has a product level withinthe product container that ranges between full and empty. A low productlevel is defined wherein the product level within the container isnearly empty. The dispensing apparatus is associated with the productcontainer to withdraw and dispense product from the product container toan outlet. The container holder supports the container within thehousing. The container holder is vertically moveable within a movementrange. A biasing element supports the container holder within thehousing, and urges the container holder upwardly such that the positionof the product container in the movement range is dependent upon theproduct level in the product container. A level indicator is verticallyfixed relative to the housing, and a sign is vertically fixed relativeto the container holder. The sign includes a low level marking at anupper portion of the sign to indicate when the product level is at thelow level or lower. When the product level is at the low level or lower,the level indicator aligns with a portion of the low level marking. Whenthe product level is full, the container holder is at a bottom of themovement range. When the product level is between full and the lowlevel, the container holder remains at the bottom of the movement range.The biasing element may comprise a pair of extension springs. A U-shapedbracket having a base fixed to the housing and a pair of legs extendingfrom the base, with each leg including a spring attachment structure maybe provided. A pair of spring attachment hooks may be provided at anupper portion of the container holder. The pair of extension springs maybe connected between the spring attachment structures on the U-shapedbracket and the spring attachment hooks on the container holder. The lowlevel marking may be a swatch of color different than a color on anupper portion of the sign. The low level indicator may be an openingthrough the housing. The housing may include a product container holdercompartment and a door that selectively opens and closes the productcontainer holder compartment. The level indicator may be a windowthrough the door. The dispensing apparatus may include a connection to awater supply, and the dispensing apparatus may dispense a mixture ofwater and the product at the outlet.

According to one embodiment, the present invention is directed to adispenser that dispenses a product and diluent mixture. The dispenserincludes a housing that has a storage area and a dispensing area. Anoutlet in the dispensing area dispenses the mixture. The outlet is influid communication with a diluent source and a product container. Acontainer holder supports the product container within the storage area.The container holder is vertically moveable within a movement rangebetween an upper limit and lower limit. A level indicator is verticallyfixed relative to the housing. A sign is connected with the containerholder such that vertical movement of the container holder within themovement range causes corresponding movement of the sign relative to thelevel indicator. The sign includes a low level marking to indicate a lowlevel of concentrate remaining within the concentrate container. Abiasing device is operable between the housing and the container holderin order to bias the container holder towards the upper limit of themovement range. When the product container contains a low level ofproduct, the biasing device will move the container holder to anintermediate position above the lower limit of the movement rangethereby moving the sign to a low level position wherein the levelindicator is aligned with the low level marking on the sign.

According to another embodiment, the present invention is directed to adispenser. The dispenser has a housing that includes a container supportfor supporting a container containing a concentrated product. Thecontainer having a capacity equal to a container volume. A dispensingoutlet is provided on the housing to dispense a diluted mixture of theproduct. A secondary container is provided below the product containersupport for catching and retaining concentrated product spilled from thecontainer. The secondary container is releasably connected to thehousing. The secondary container may also include a lid that covers anupper opening of the secondary container, with the lid having a drainageopening to permit spilled product to flow into the secondary container.The lid may include a sloped upper surface that slopes downwardly to thedrainage opening. The secondary container may have a floor and at leastone baffle extending upwardly from the floor a sufficient distance toretard sloshing of concentrated product within the container. The floorof the secondary container may include a flat section to accommodate aneutralizing agent packet. The secondary container may have a capacityequal to or greater than the container volume. The housing may include adoor that covers a storage compartment where the container support isprovided. The secondary container may include a projection in alignmentwith the door when the door is in a closed position, such that thesecondary container is prevented from being disconnected from thehousing when the door is closed by virtue of the door interfering withthe projection. When the door is in a fully open position, theprojection is not aligned with the door, such that disconnection of thesecondary container from the housing is permitted. The dispenser mayinclude a bucket fill attachment that stores upon a lid of the secondarycontainer when not in use and that attaches to the housing proximate tothe outlet when in use. The secondary container may include walls thatdefine a passageway from below the secondary container to above thesecondary container to accommodate a hose connected to the bucket fillattachment from below the housing. The passageway may be open to a rearportion of the secondary container such that the hose within thepassageway does not interfere with disconnecting the secondary containerfrom the housing. The secondary container may be slidably receivedwithin the housing and the housing may include a guide that interactswith the secondary container to constrain a movement path of thesecondary container. The guide may constrain the movement to slide to afirst position partway out of the housing, to lift to a second positionwhere at least a portion of the secondary container is above the firstposition, and then slide completely out of the housing. The guide may bea stepped bar having a lower step toward a rear of the guide and anupper step toward a front of the guide. The secondary container mayinclude a flange that engages the guide.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a front elevation view of a dispenser according to oneembodiment of the present invention, wherein a low product indicatoruses a compression spring, and wherein the consumable container isnearly full.

FIG. 1B shows the dispenser of FIG. 1A, wherein the consumable containeris half empty.

FIG. 1C shows the dispenser of FIG. 1B, wherein the consumable containerhas a low level of product remaining.

FIG. 1D shows the dispenser of FIG. 1C, wherein the consumable containeris nearly empty.

FIG. 2A is a front elevation view of a dispenser according to anotherembodiment of the present invention, wherein a low product indicatorutilizes extension springs, and wherein the container is nearly full.

FIG. 2B shows the product dispenser of FIG. 2A, wherein the productremaining in the container is nearly at a low level.

FIG. 2C shows the product dispenser of FIG. 2B, wherein the productremaining in the container is at a low level.

FIG. 2D shows the product dispenser of FIG. 2C, wherein the container isempty.

FIG. 3 shows a dispenser according to another embodiment of the presentinvention, wherein compression springs interact with a container holderand guides for the container holder as part of a low product indicator,and wherein the consumable container is nearly full.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a dispenser according to anotherembodiment of the present invention showing the dispenser being used tofill a bottle.

FIG. 5 shows the dispenser of FIG. 4, being used to fill a bucket.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the dispenser of FIG. 4, with thedispenser door open, and the product container and product containerholder pulled out of the cabinet.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the product container holder from thedispenser of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the dispenser of FIG. 4 with thecabinet door and front cover removed, and with the product containerabout half full of product.

FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the dispenser of FIG. 8, wherein theproduct container has a low level of product remaining.

FIG. 10 is a front elevation view of the dispenser of FIG. 9, whereinthe product container is nearly empty.

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cabinet door of thedispenser of FIG. 4, when the product container is nearly full.

FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cabinet door of thedispenser of FIG. 4, when the product container contains a low level ofproduct.

FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the door of the dispenserof FIG. 4, when the product container is empty.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of the dispenser of FIG. 4 wherein asecondary container has been slid forward to a first position partwayout of the dispenser housing.

FIG. 15 shows the dispenser of FIG. 14, wherein the secondary containerhas been lifted above the front step of the guide bar of the housing andslid outward to be completely disconnected from the housing.

FIG. 16 is an exploded isometric view of the secondary container of FIG.15 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a top plan view of the secondary container of FIG. 16 withoutthe lid.

FIG. 18 is a dispenser according to another embodiment of the presentinvention, wherein a secondary container will slide out of the dispenserwithout a lid.

FIG. 19 is an isometric view of the secondary container of the dispenserof FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a top plan view of the secondary container of FIG. 19 withneutralizing packets and an absorbent packet resting on flat areas ofthe floor of the secondary container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1A is a front elevation view of a dispenser 10 according to oneembodiment of the present invention. The components of the dispenser 10are generally contained within a housing 16. The dispenser 10 is used todispense a product 14 from a product container 12. The product 14 may bea concentrated liquid, such as a cleaning or disinfecting product.Alternatively, the product 14 may be any type of consumable that isdispensed from a container, such as a liquid, powder, or aerosol. Anoutlet 18 is provided as part of the dispenser 10 where the product 14is dispensed to a user. In the embodiment of FIG. 1A, the dispenser 10includes a diluent source 20, such that a mixture of the product 14 anddiluent 20 can be dispensed at the outlet 18. In other embodiments, theconsumable product 14 may be dispensed without being diluted. Typically,if a diluent 20 is used, it will be water, and the diluent source 20 maybe a water supply.

The product container 12 may be connected with a manifold assembly 30that is used to move the product 14 to the outlet 18, and to mix theproduct 14 with the diluent 20. A variety of manifold systems 30 may besuitable for use advantageously with the present invention. Inparticular, a system and assembly for handling liquid products thatwould be suitable for use as the manifold assembly 30 is shown inco-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/734,532, theentire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Themanifold assembly 30 may include controls 32 for controlling thedispensing of product 14 from the dispenser 10.

As a user uses the dispenser 10 the product 14 will be consumed, and alevel of product remaining within container 12 will become lower. Forexample, in FIG. 1A the level of product 14 remaining within container12 is nearly at the top of the container 12. In FIG. 1B, only about halfof the product 14 remains within container 12. In FIG. 1C, the product14 is at a low level within the container 12, such that the container 12will need to be replaced or refilled very soon. In FIG. 1D the product14 has been completely, or nearly completely depleted from the container12, such that the container 12 must be replaced or refilled in order todispense any more product 14 from the dispenser 10.

It can be advantageous for a user to know in advance, before thecontainer 12 reaches the state of FIG. 1D wherein the container 12 needsto be replaced or refilled in the near future, so that a user does notface a situation wherein the container 12 is out of product and noreplacement product is available. The dispenser 10 of FIGS. 1A-Dincludes a low product indicator to provide a user with such advancewarning.

The components of the low product indicator include a container holder22 that supports the product container 12 within the housing 16. Thecontainer holder 22 is in turn supported within the housing 16 by abiasing device 28, such as a compression spring. Alternatively, morethan one compression spring could be used as the biasing device 28. Whenthe product container 12 is full, or nearly full, of product 14, theweight of the container 12 pressing against the container holder 22 willfully compress the compression spring 28. In the fully compressedposition, the container holder 22 may come to a hard stop, such that itsweight is at least partially support by a ledge or other structurewithin the housing 16. A sign 24, or similar display is attached to thecontainer holder 22, such that the sign 24 will move up and down inconjunction with the container holder 22. The sign 24 may includemarkings, or other indicia, that represent a product level or levelsremaining within the container 12. For example, the sign 24 may bedivided in half, with a top half being green to represent that thecontainer 12 has a sufficient supply of product 14 to last for a while,and a bottom half of sign 24 may be red to indicate that the level ofproduct 14 remaining within container 12 is low, such that the container12 may need to be replaced or refilled. An indicator 26 may be fixedvertically within the housing 16 to point to or otherwise indicate aspecific portion of the sign 24 that relates to the current level ofproduct 14 remaining within container 12. In FIG. 1A, with thecompression spring 28 fully compressed, the indicator 26 is pointingtowards a top portion of the sign 24 to indicate that the amount ofproduct 14 remaining in the container 12 is not low.

In FIG. 1B, a significant portion of the product 14 has been consumedfrom the container 12, such that the level of product remaining withinthe container 12 is lower than the amount of product remaining in thecontainer 12 shown in FIG. 1A. However, the compression spring 28 isstill in the fully compressed condition, such that the indicator 26 ispointing towards the top portion of sign 24 to show that the level ofproduct 14 remaining within container 12 is still not low. The biasingdevice 28 is selected such that it will not significantly move thecontainer holder 22 upwards until the level of product 14 remainingwithin container 12 reaches a desired set point that is associated witha low product condition. For example, it might be determined that a userneeds to be notified of the low product condition when the amount ofproduct 14 remaining within container 12 is about 10% of the totalamount container 12 will hold. Alternatively, it may be desired to makethe set point wherein the biasing device 28 will move the containerholder 22 upward in order to indicate the low product condition based onan absolute amount of product 14 remaining within container 12, forexample 300 grams of a cleaning concentrate.

Once the amount of product 14 remaining within the container 12 reachesthe predetermined low level amount, the weight of the container holder22 pressing against the biasing device 28 will be light enough that thebiasing device 28 will cause the container holder 22 to move upwardly asshown in FIG. 1C. The upward movement of the container holder 22 causesa corresponding upward movement of the sign 24, relative to the fixedindicator 26. A user will be able to perceive that the relative positionof the sign 24 compared to the indicator 26 has changed such that theindicator 26 is now aligned with a portion of the sign 24 that indicatesa low level of product 14 remaining within the container 12. Theindicator 26 might be a pointer, a notch, or a line adjacent to the sign24, or could be a window that displays only a portion of the sign 24. Asmore and more product is removed from the container 12, the sign 24 willbe moved higher and higher causing the indicator 26 to be aligned withand indicate a lower portion of the sign 24 as an indication of theamount of product 14 remaining within the container 12. Therefore, thesign 24 may be marked with gradations to indicate how close to empty thecontainer 12 is. According to one embodiment, a top half of the sign 24will be a first color, for example green, and bottom half of the signwill be a second color, for example red. If the indicator 26 is alignedwith only the green portion of the sign 24, that would be an indicationthat the container is not at a low level. As indicator 26 moves fartherand farther into the red section of the sign 24, that is an indicatorthat the amount of the product is low, and getting closer to beingempty. When the container 12 is empty, or nearly empty as shown in FIG.1D, the container holder 22 will be at the top of its movement range,and the indicator 26 will be aligned with the top portion of the sign 24to indicate that the product 14 has been completely exhausted from thecontainer 12.

The housing 16 may be portable, or may be a more permanent structure.The housing 16 may include covers and doors to protect and hide fromview the components of the dispenser 10. The housing may be freestanding or may be designed to be mounted on a wall.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.2A-2D. The dispenser 100 has a housing 102 that generally contains andsupports the dispensing components. A product container 104 contains aconsumable product 106. Dispensing apparatus 108 interacts with thecontainer 104 to selectively withdraw and dispense a consumable product106 from the container 104. The dispensing apparatus 108 might includesuch things as an inlet tube for withdrawing product 106 out of thecontainer 104, an outlet for dispensing the product, controls forcontrolling the dispensing process, an inlet for receiving a diluent tomix with the product 106 in order to create a mixture, the manifold forcombining the diluent and the product 106, a pump or pumps for moving,combining, and expelling the diluent and product 106, and other standarddispensing equipment. The dispensing apparatus 108 is shown as a blackbox in FIG. 2A, however those of skill in the art will be aware ofvarious equipment that can serve as the dispensing apparatus 108.

The dispenser 100 of FIGS. 2A-2D includes a low product level indicatorarrangement that utilizes extension springs 110. The container 104 issupport by a container holder 112. The container holder 112 is in turnsupported within the housing 102 by the extension springs 110. Theextension springs 110 hang from support brackets 114 that are fixed tothe housing 102. Therefore, the container holder 112 will have avertical range of movement within the housing 102 depending upon howmuch the extension springs 110 are extended. At the bottom of themovement range, a support 116 may be provided to carry a portion of theweight of the container holder 112, so that the springs 110 do not bearthe entire weight of the container holder 112 when the container 104contains a high level of product 106, as shown in FIG. 2A. A sign 118 isconnected to the container holder 112 move up and down with thecontainer holder 112. An indicator 120 that is vertically fixed relativeto the housing 102 is provided in close proximity to the sign 118.Accordingly, as the sign 118 moves up and down with the container holder112, the indicator will be aligned with a different portion of the sign118. The sign 118 will include visual indicia that correspond with howmuch product 106 remains within the container 104. Accordingly, amarking or other visual indication at an upper portion of sign 118 willcorrespond with the product level within the container 104 not beinglow; whereas, a marking or visual indicator at a lower portion of thesign 118 will correspond with the product level within the container 104being low.

In FIG. 2A the product level within the container 104 is nearly at thetop of the container of 104. Accordingly the weight of the container 104and container holder 112 pulling against the extension springs 110 movesthe container holder 112 all the way to the bottom of its range ofmovement such that it is contact with and partially support by thesupport 116. The indicator 120 aligns with the upper portion of the sign118 to give a visual cue to a user that the amount of product 106remaining within the container 104 is not low, and the user is not injeopardy of running out of product 106.

FIG. 2B shows the dispenser 100 of FIG. 2A wherein most of the product106 has been consumed out of container 104. The product level within thecontainer 104 is at a preselected level wherein the low indicator willbegin to give an indication that the product level is starting to getlow. Therefore, in FIG. 2B, the container holder 112 is still at thebottom of its movement range in contact with, but not putting any weightagainst, support 116. In other words, the extension springs 110 areproviding a biasing force that is equal to the weight of the containerholder 112 with the container 104 but have not yet moved the containerholder 112 upwardly off of the support 116. Accordingly, the indicator120 is still aligned with a top portion of the sign 118 such that a userstill sees the status of the container 104 as not being low. If anyadditional product 106 is removed from the container 104 shown in FIG.2B, the container holder 112 will be moved upwardly by the biasing forceof springs 110, such that a low product indication will be given by theindicator 120 on the sign 118.

FIG. 2C shows the dispenser 100 of FIG. 2B, wherein additional product106 has been dispensed, such that only a low level of product 106remains within the container 104. Because the container 104 contains alower amount of product 106, the mass of the product 106 remainingwithin the container 104 is less, and therefore the weight supported bythe container holder 112 is corresponding lower. The biasing full forceof the springs 110 is sufficient to lift container holder 112 upwardlyoff the support 116. The upward movement of the container holder 112causes the sign 118 to also move upwardly, and therefore the indicator120 aligns with a central portion of the sign 118. This alignment of theindicator 120 with the sign 118 provides a visual cue to a user that theproduct level within the container 104 is low. Accordingly a user can beput on alert that very soon the user will need to either replace orrefill the container 104.

FIG. 2D shows the dispenser 100 of FIG. 2C, wherein additional product106 has been dispensed from the container 104, such that the container104 is very nearly empty. The mass of the product 106 within thecontainer 104 is negligible, therefore the weight supported by thecontainer holder 112 represents only the weight of the container 104.The extension springs 110 therefore raise the container holder 112 tothe upper portion of the movement range for the container holder 112.The sign 118 is therefore moved to an even higher height, such that theindicator 120 aligns with a bottom portion of the sign 118. Thisprovides a visual indicator that the container 104 is empty, and theuser must either replace or refill the container 104.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the dispenser 200 according to thepresent invention, wherein the biasing member 218 is disposed between acontainer holder 214 and a container holder guide 216 as part of a lowindicator assembly. More specifically, as seen in FIG. 3, the dispenser200 includes an outer housing 202. A product 206 is stored within aproduct container 208. The housing 202 may be a cabinet or similardevice, or may be a more portable structure. The product 206 may be aproduct that is dispensed, such as a detergent, sanitizer, or otherconsumable product. The housing 202 may be connected with an externaldiluent source 204, such as an external water supply. In operation, theproduct 206 may be mixed with the diluent 204 to create a desiredsolution that gets dispensed at outlet 210. A control 224 may beprovided to permit a user to control a dispensing operation. The mixingof the diluent 204 with the consumable product 206, as well as themovement of the solution within the dispenser 200 to the outlet 210 maybe accomplished by manifold assembly 212. The manifold assembly 212 mayinclude tubing, pumps, valves, mixing chambers, and other knowncomponents used to mix and transfer liquid solutions.

The housing 202 is provided with guides 216 that interact with acontainer holder 218 to retain the container holder 214 within thehousing 202, such that the container holder 214 has a vertical range ofmovement. A biasing device, or biasing devices, such as compressionsprings 218 are provided between the guide 216 and a bearing surface onthe container holder 214. A sign 220 is fixed to the container holder214 to move up and down with the container holder 214. An indicator 222is vertically fixed with respect to the housing 202 at a location nearthe sign 220, such that the indicator 222 indicates a different portionof the sign 220 depending upon the vertical location of the sign 220.The indicator 222 may be a pointer, a notch, or could be an opening ortransparent portion of a cover or door of the housing 202 that alignswith the sign 220. Sign 220 may include different markings or othervisual indicia at an upper portion of the sign as compared to a lowerportion of the sign 220. Accordingly when the indicator 222 aligns witha top portion of the sign 220 a user will see that as an indication thatthe container 208 is not running low on product 206. Conversely, if theindicator 222 is aligned with a lower portion of the sign 220 that willbe seen by a user as indicating that the container 208 is running low onproduct 206. As shown in FIG. 3, the compression springs 218 are fullycompressed such that the container holder 14 is at the bottom most ofits movement range because of the container 208 has a relatively highlevel of product 206 remaining. While not shown in the figures, itshould be appreciated that as the product 206 is consumed from thecontainer 208 by being dispensed, the level of product 206 remainingwithin the container will drop, causing a corresponding drop in the massof product 206 remaining. Once the product 206 reaches a low levelwithin the container 208 the biasing force of the springs 218 will beginto move the container holder 214 upwardly, causing a correspondingupward movement of the sign 220. Accordingly, the indicator 222 will bealigned with an intermediate portion of the sign 220, giving a usernotice that the product 206 is at a low level within the container 208,such that the user should have a replacement container or refill producton hand. Eventually, as the product 206 is completely depleted from thecontainer 208 the springs 218 will lift the container holder 214 to theupper extreme of its movement range, at which point the indicator 222will be aligned with a bottom portion of the sign 220 to indicate thatthe container 208 is out of product.

FIGS. 4-13 show a dispenser 300 according to a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention. The dispenser 300 is especially well suited fordispensing a cleaning and sanitizing product, for example aperoxyacietic acid and hydrogen peroxide solution. In particularly, thedispenser 300 can dispense a diluted solution to either a bottlecontainer or a bucket. The peroxyacietic acid and hydrogen peroxidemixture comes in a concentrated form that represents a consumableproduct that typically is contained within a disposable opaque 3-litercontainer.

FIG. 4 shows a front elevation view of the dispenser 300 configured todispense the solution to a portable bottle 302. The dispenser 300includes a cabinet structure 304. The cabinet 304 is intended to bemounted on a wall. The cabinet structure 304 has a door 306 including alock 305 as well as a top front cover 308. In general, the door 306selectively opens and closes to a consumable product storage area (notshown in FIG. 4, see area 310 in FIG. 6). The top cover 308 encloses andprotects the manifold assembly (see FIG. 8). The front of the cabinet304 includes an open recessed dispensing area 312 and an outlet tube 314that extends downwardly from the manifold assembly to provide an outletfor the solution to be dispensed. A control 316, such as a button, canbe used to activate and deactivate the dispensing of the solution.Therefore, in order to fill a bottle 302 with a solution, a user wouldalign the bottle 302 underneath the outlet tube 314 and press the button316 to dispense the solution into the bottle 302. Once a desired amountof solution has been dispensed in the bottle 302 the control button 316may be released to stop the dispensing process. Other types of controlfor dispensing process will be well known to those skilled in the art.An indicator window 318 is provided on the door 306. A visual inspectionof the indicator window 318 will indicate to a user whether the amountof consumable product remaining is running low, such that a replacementcontainer or refill of the product needs to be readily at hand.

A bucket fill adapter 320 may be stored within the dispensing area 312.A bucket dispensing handle 322 is releasably stored within a recess 324or in the top cover 308. FIG. 5 illustrates use of the dispenser 300 ina bucket filling operation. The bucket fill adapter 320 attaches to anundersurface of the dispensing area 312, such that the adapter 320covers the outlet tube 314. The bucket fill handle 322 is released fromthe top cover 308, and in particular from its retaining slot 330 withinthe recessed area 324. A hose or tube 326 extends from the lower portionof adapter 320, passes through a passage in the lower portion of thecabinet (see description related to FIGS. 14-16 below) and attaches tothe bucket fill handle 322. A bucket 328 (shown in cross section in FIG.5) may be provided in close proximity in the dispenser 300. A retainerclip 332 may be used to connect the bucket fill handle 322 to the bucket328 as shown in FIG. 5. A user may then dispense solution into thebucket 328 by activating the dispenser 300 using the control button 316.A user may verify whether the amount of product remaining is at lowlevel by visually inspecting window 318 in door 306.

FIG. 6 shows the dispenser 300 of FIG. 4 with the door 306 rotated to anopen position and with a product container 334 and a container holder336 pulled out of the product storage area 310 of the cabinet 304.

A wall 340 separates the product container area 310 from the dispensingarea 312. A pair of guides 338 are provided on the inner walls of theproduct container area 310. The guides 338 each form a channel 342 thatis generally vertically oriented. The container holder 336 includes apair of tabs 344 that can be received within the channels 342 within theguides 338. Once a tab 334 is received within its corresponding channel342 the container holder 336 will be constrained to a vertical movementrange defined by the guides 338. The tabs 344 retained within thechannels 342 of the guides 338 will prevent lateral movement of thecontainer holder 336, but will permit a range of vertical movement.

Details of the container holder 336 can best be seen in isometric detailview of FIG. 7. The container holder 336 may be primarily composed of asingle injection molded body. The container holder 336 may include abottom support surface 346 for supporting the product container 334. Inuse, the container holder 336 will generally remain within the productcontainer area 310, but may be removed periodically for cleaning of thecontainer holder itself 336, and to permit better access for cleaning ofthe product container area 310. A pair of hooks 348, or other attachmentstructures, are provided on the container holder 336. As will be shownand discussed below, these hooks 348 are used to connect the containerholder 336 with extension springs. These hooks 348 may be integrallymolded with the body of the container holder 336, and should besufficiently strong to support the weight of the container holder 336 aswell as container 334 that is filled to capacity with the consumableproduct. A sign 350 is attached to the container holder 336. In theembodiment shown the sign 350 extends forwardly from the containerholder 336 and is attached by an arm 352. The arm 352 may be connectedto a wall of the container holder 336 by threaded fasteners within slotsformed in either the arm 352 or the container holder 336, such that somevertical adjustment of the sign 350 is permitted. This verticaladjustment of the sign 350 may be necessary to calibrate or fine tunethe location of the sign 350 relative to the container holder 336. Asmay be appreciated of viewing FIGS. 11-13, the sign 350 is generally inalignment with the window 318 of the door 306, when the container holder336 is in place within the product container area 310 and the door 306is closed. The sign 350 may be provided with different markings on itsupper portion relative to its lower portion to indicate the productremaining within the product container 334 is at a low level. Inparticular, if an upper portion of the sign 350 is in alignment with,and therefore visible through, the indicator window 318, that willprovide a visual indication to a user that the product remaining withinthe product container 334 is not at a low level. Conversely, if themarkings of the lower portion of the sign 350 are in alignment with, andtherefore visible through, the indicator window 381, that will alert auser that the product level remaining within the product container 334is low.

FIGS. 8-10 show the dispenser 300 with the door 306 and top cover 308removed to reveal the manifold area 354 in the product container area310. In FIGS. 8 and 11, the product container 334 contains enoughproduct 356 that the product level is not considered to be low, and thecontainer 334 is not in jeopardy of running out of product 356. Anassembly for mixing the product 356 with water and dispensing theresulting mixture through the outlet tube 314 is generally indicated at358. The details of this assembly 358 are not critical to the lowproduct level indicator of the present invention, and are not discussedin detailed herein. A suitable system for handling a product, water, andmixture is shown in copending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.No. 61/734,532 filed Dec. 7, 2012, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety. Those of skill in the art will be aware ofother suitable systems.

A bracket 360 is mounted within the cabinet 304, for example within themanifold area 354. According to the embodiment shown, the bracket 360 isgenerally U-shaped and is made from a hard material such as metal. TheU-shaped bracket 360 has a base portion fixed to a support surface ofthe cabinet 304. Legs extend outwardly from opposite ends of the baseportion of the U-shaped bracket 360. Each of the legs of the bracket 360includes an opening or hook (not shown) for attaching a pair ofextension springs 362. The extension springs 362 act as a biasing devicethat tends to urge the container holder 336 upwardly towards the uppermost limit of its movement range by pulling against hooks 348 on thecontainer holder 336. The springs 362 may be selected at an appropriatelength and spring constant such that they will begin to lift thecontainer holder 336 and container 334 from the lower most extreme ofthe movement range when the amount of product 356 remaining in thecontainer 334 reaches a predetermined low level. For example, for a3-liter bottle, the low level may be selected as 300 grams (about 300ml) of product 356 remaining.

Because the amount of product 356 remaining within the product container334 of FIG. 8 is not yet at a low level (e.g., more than 300 grams for a3-liter bottle), the weight supported by the container holder 336 issufficient to fully extend the extension springs 362 such that thecontainer holder 336 is at the lower most reach of its movement range,with the container holder 336 being partially supported by a lowersurface of the cabinet 304 within the storage area 310. As seen in FIG.11, when the product container holder 336 is at the bottom of itsmovement range, the upper portion of the sign 350 is in alignment withthe indicator window 318 in the door 306. Therefore a user viewing theindicator window 318 will see the upper portion of the sign 350 andrealize that the container 334 contains more than a low level of product356.

FIGS. 9 and 12 show the dispenser 300 of FIGS. 8 and 11, wherein anadditional amount of the product 356 has been dispensed out of thecontainer 334 such that the product level is now considered to be at alow level (e.g., less than 300 grams remaining in a 3-liter bottle).Accordingly, the weight supported by the container holder 336 isreduced, and the extension springs 362 exert enough force to lift thecontainer holder 336 a small amount off the bottom surface of thestorage area 310. Accordingly, as seen in FIG. 12, a central portion ofthe sign 350 is in alignment with the indicator window of the door 306.Accordingly, a user looking at the indicator window 318 will see acentral portion of the sign 350, which will give the user an indicationthat the amount of product 356 remaining within the product container334 is at a low level. The user will therefore be aware that the usershould have another container 334 or a refill supply of product 356.According to one embodiment, the lower portion of the sign 350 will begreen and a bottom portion will be red. Accordingly if a user sees onlythe green portion of the sign 350 when looking through the window 318the user will understand that the product level is not yet low. On theother hand, if a user sees both green and red when looking through thewindow 318, a user will know the product level is getting low. Finally,if a user looking at the window 318 sees only the lower portion, or thered color portion, the user will know the container 334 is empty or verynearly empty.

FIGS. 10 and 13 illustrate a situation where the product container 334has completely, or nearly completely, exhausted its supply of product356. Due to the reduced weight supported by the container holder 336,the springs 362 lift the container holder 336 to the top of its movementrange. Accordingly, as seen in FIG. 13, the lower portion of the sign350 will be aligned with indicator window 318. A user looking throughindicator window 318 will see only the bottom portion of the sign 350and will realize that the container 334 is empty or very nearly empty,such that the product container should be replaced or refilledimmediately.

According to another feature of the present invention, a dispenser mayinclude a secondary container that collects any concentrated productspilled from a product container, such that the spilled concentratedproduct is retained within the dispenser until the secondary containercan be removed from the dispenser housing to permit proper disposal ofthe spilled product. FIGS. 14-17 and 18-20 relate to two differentembodiments of dispensers that include removable secondary containers.

FIG. 14 shows the dispenser 300 of FIG. 4 wherein a secondary container370 has been partially withdrawn from the cabinet 304. The secondarycontainer 370 has a lid 372 that generally fits within and covers anupward facing opening of the secondary container 370. The lid 372 has anupper surface 373 that acts as a floor of the container compartment 310and the dispensing area 312 when the secondary container 370 is fullywithin the cabinet 304 in a standard operating configuration.

As best seen in FIG. 16, the upper surface of the lid 372 includes asloped surface 376 that guides any spilled product downwardly into thedrainage opening 378. The upper surface of the lid 372 also includes abottle retaining cup 380. The bottle retaining cup 380 generally fitswithin and covers the bottle opening of 382. The bottle retaining cup380 preferably has raised sides and a flat central section. The bottleretaining cup 380 is used to provide a resting place for a bottle (seeFIG. 4) directly beneath outlet 314 to perform a bottle fillingoperation. Accordingly, if there are any small spills or splatters ofthe dispensed solution that drip or fall on or around the bottle, theywill be retained within the bottle retaining cup 380. A depression 384may be provided in the upper surface 373 of the lid 372 along the outerperimeter of the bottle opening 382 to permit a user to get theirfingers underneath the top edge of the bottle retaining cup 380 toremove the bottle retaining cup 380 from the opening 382 in order todispose of any spilled product retained within the bottle retaining cup380, and to facilitate easy clean-up of the bottle retaining cup 380.

The lid 372 also includes a small raised wall 386 that acts as a supportfor the bucket fill attachment 320 (see FIG. 6). At the attachmentsupport wall 386 an opening is provided through the lid 372 throughwhich a lower portion of the bucket fill attachment 320 will extend.That opening is provided in the form of a compound slot 388 thatincludes a first portion 390 at the rear of the lid 372 and a secondportion 392 that angles off of the first portion 390. The first portion390 of the slot 388 is open to the rear of the lid 372. As describedbelow, this rearward opening will allow removal of the lid 372 as partof the secondary container 370 without interference from bucket fillhose 326. The second portion 392 of the slot 388 extends generallytowards the center of the bottle retaining cup 382. The second portion392 of the slot 388 will allow for the bucket fill hose 326 to remainwithout a kink or obstruction when the bottle fill attachment 320 isattached to the cabinet 304 in a bucket fill configuration (as seen inFIG. 5). The lid 372 also includes a notch 394 along its rear edge. Thenotch 394 is provided in alignment with a flange 396 that extendsupwardly from the lower portion 398 of the secondary container 370. Asdescribed in more detail below, the flange 396 engages a guide 426within the cabinet 304 to limit the range of movement of the secondarycontainer 370 within the cabinet 304.

A downwardly extending lip 400 is provided that it's offset inwardlyslightly from the outer perimeter from the lid 372, and generallyextends around the entire perimeter of the lid 372. The lip 400 helps toalign and retain the lid 372 within the lower portion 398 of thesecondary container 370. The lip 400 also serves to seal the interfacebetween the lower portion 398 and the lid 372. The lid 372 is alsoprovided with a pair resilient ears 402 that act as a latch to engage acatch 404 provided at a handle section 406 of the lower portion of 398.To snap the lid 372 in place on the lower portion 398, the lip 400 isaligned generally inside the perimeter of the wall of the lower portion398, and the user presses downwardly on the lid 372 causing theresilient ears 402 to slide over and snap into place against catches404. To remove the lid 372 once it is latched in place on the bottomportion 398, the user simply pulls outwardly on the ears 402 causingthem flex outwardly, and allowing the user to lift the lid 372 off ofthe lower portion 398.

The upper surface of the lid 372 also includes a pair tabs 408 thatextend upwardly from the upper surface of the lid 372. These tabs 408extend, or project, upwardly a sufficient distance that if the door 306is in the closed position (as seen in FIG. 4) a portion of the tabs 408will be in alignment with the bottom portion of the door 306, such thatany attempt to withdraw the container 370 from the cabinet 304 will beprevented by the tabs 408 coming into contact with the inside of thedoor 306. The entire lid 372 may be a single injection molded piece.Alternatively the tabs 408 may be structures added on by bolting,welding, fasteners or other known attachment mechanisms. When the door306 is in fully opened position, (as seen in FIGS. 14 and 15) the door306 is moved out of the way of the tabs 408, and the secondary container370 may be slid outwardly from the cabinet 304.

The lower portion 398 of the secondary container 370 includes acontinuous outer wall 410 that generally extends upwardly around theouter perimeter of a floor 412. The outer wall 410 and floor 412 createa storage reservoir 414. Baffles 416 extend upwardly from the floor 412.The baffles 416 preferably extend upwardly to nearly the same height asthe wall 410. The purpose of the baffles 416 is to reduce to the backand forth sloshing of the concentrated product within the secondarycontainer 370 once the secondary container 370 is removed from thecabinet 304 to be emptied and cleaned. In the embodiment shown, twobaffles 416 are used. It may be acceptable to use a single baffle, ormore than two baffles. The two baffles 416 are aligned primarily toreduce front-to-back sloshing, which is of greatest risk.

A handle recess 418 is provided in the front wall of the lower portion398. An undersurface of the handle recess 418 (not shown) may becontoured to help a user grip and pull the secondary container 370 outof the cabinet 304. As best seen in FIG. 9, the cabinet 304 may beprovided with a tab 420 that interacts with a lower edge of the lowerportion 398 to assure that the secondary container 370 is at theappropriate location within the cabinet 304. A latching tab 420 can alsohelp assure that when the door 306 is opened, the secondary container370 is not accidentally withdrawn from the cabinet 304. To initiatedisconnecting the secondary container 370 from the cabinet 304, thefirst step after opening the door 306, would be to release the tab 402,for example by pressing it, to permit the secondary container 370 to beslid forwardly out of the cabinet 304.

The outer wall 410 of the lower portion 398 is shaped to include apassageway 422 at the near a rear portion of the lower portion 398. Thishose passageway 422 matches the general shape of the compound slot 388formed in the lid 372. The purpose of the slot 422 is to permit thebucket fill hose 326 to pass from below the secondary container 370,through the container 370, and upwardly to the bucket fill attachment320. The passageway 422 also opens to the rear of the lower portion 398,so that the hose 326 will not interfere with withdrawing the secondarycontainer 370 out of the cabinet 304.

As best seen in the top plan view of FIG. 17, the floor 412 of thebottom portion 398 of the secondary container 370 should be providedwith at least one uninterrupted flat area 424. The flat area 424 shouldprovide sufficient space between the outer walls 410 and the baffles 416to place a neutralizing or absorbing agent. For example, socks, pillows,and powders are known products that can be used to neutralized, and/or,absorb concentrated product that has been spilled. Commerciallyavailable packets in the form of rectangular packets, elongated socks,or loose powder may be used to absorb and neutralize any concentratedchemicals. These products are available in commercially provided spillkits. Those with skill in the art will be well aware of various optionsfor neutralizing and absorbing agents that can be placed within theprovided flat area 422 to aid in the neutralizing and absorbing ofspilled concentrated product that has fallen into the secondarycontainer 370. Such neutralizing agents may be placed and left withinthe secondary container 370 in order to begin instantly neutralizing aspill as soon as it enters the secondary container 370. This can beespecially beneficial in situations where fumes from the concentratedproduct might be especially toxic or harmful, or in high risk areas,such as prenatal, neonatal, or operating rooms.

As best seen in FIGS. 14 and 15, the cabinet 304 is provided with aguide 426 that extends forwardly from a rear wall of the cabinet 304.The guide 426 may be a member, such as a post or bar that extends fromthe rear wall and has a lower step 428 at the rear section of the guide426 and an upper step 430 at the front end of the guide 426. The lowerstep 428 extends along the vast majority of the length of the guide 426,and provides a resting place for the flange 396 that extends upwardlyfrom the lower portion 398 of the secondary container 370. The guide 426may form a part of the wall that divides the storage area 310 from thedispensing area 312. A portion of the divider wall above the guide 426may include a complimentary notch that follows along the lower 428 andupper 430 steps of the guide 426 such that the user cannot lift theflange 396 to a sufficient height to clear the front step 430 until thesecondary container 370 is at least partially withdrawn from the cabinet304.

In use, if it is determined that a spill from the product container 334has occurred, a user may wish to remove the secondary container 370 fromthe cabinet 304 in order to appropriately dispose of the spilledproduct. As noted above, in some situations the secondary container 370may be provided with a neutralizing agent, such as a powder or packetcontaining a powder that will help neutralize and absorb theconcentrated product immediately upon it spilling into the secondarycontainer 370. In order to remove or disconnect the secondary container370 from the cabinet 304, a user will fully open the door 306, which mayrequire opening a lock. Opening the door 306 is necessary in order toremove the door 306 from the movement path of the stop tabs 408. Fromthis configuration, a user can press tab 420 on the bottom of thecabinet 304 to release the secondary container 370 for forward sliding.It should also be noted, that it may be necessary to reposition the hose326 to the side of the cabinet 304 in order to prevent the hose 326 frominterfering with forward movement of the secondary container 370 (seeFIG. 14). The user can then slide the secondary container partly out ofthe cabinet 304 by pulling the secondary container 370 forwardly untilthe flange 396 is stopped by the upper step 430 of the guide 426. Theupper step 430 serves to prevent the secondary container 370 from beingpulled all the way out of the cabinet 304 in a single motion. This helpsprevent accidental removal of the secondary container 370 from thecabinet 304. It also assures that a user must be supporting the weightof the secondary container 370 when they remove the secondary container370 from the cabinet 304 to help prevent accidental tilting or droppingof the secondary container 370 which can result in spilling the contentsof the secondary container 370. After the secondary container 370 ispulled forward such that the phalange 396 is stopped by the upper step430 a user will grasp the handles 406 at the sides of the secondarycontainer 370 and lift upwardly to clear the phalange 396 over the upperstep 430 such that the secondary container 370 can be pulled completelyclear from the cabinet 304.

Once the secondary container has been removed from the cabinet 304, auser may dispose of the spilled concentrated product by removing the lid372. The neutralizing and absorbing packets can then be removed from thesecondary container 320 and be safely disposed. Any liquid concentrateremaining in the secondary container can be safely disposed as well. Thesecondary container 370 can be cleaned, refilled with neutralizing orabsorbing products, and slid back into place in the cabinet 304.

FIGS. 18-20 show an alternative embodiment of a dispenser 500 fordispensing a concentrated product. The dispenser 500 includes asecondary container 502 for catching and disposing any concentratedproduct that spills from the source container (not shown). Unlike theembodiment of FIGS. 4-17, in the embodiments of FIGS. 18-20 thesecondary container 502 does not include a lid that disconnects from thedispenser 500 as part of the secondary container 502.

The dispenser 500 of FIG. 18 includes a housing 504 that is generallydivided into an equipment compartment 506, a dispensing area 508, astorage compartment 510, and the secondary container area 512. Thedispensing area 508 includes an outlet 514 for dispensing theconcentrated product, or more preferably a mixture that includes theconcentrated product in a diluted form. The storage compartment 510 iswhere the refillable or disposable container of the concentrated product(not shown) is stored. Also not shown is an apparatus for withdrawingthe concentrated product from the product container. The equipmentcompartment 506 generally above the storage compartment 510 and thedispensing area 508 and includes equipment for drawing concentratedproduct out of the concentrated product container and moving it to theoutlet 514, possibly while mixing the concentrated product with adiluent such as water. A control, such as button 516 is provided topermit a user to control the dispensing process. Preferably, a lockabledoor (not shown) may be provided to selectively close and secure theproduct container within the storage compartment 510.

A storage compartment 510 includes a floor 518. The floor 518 issupported by the walls of the housing 504. The floor 518 may bepermanently secured to the housing 504 in a fixed manner. The dispensingarea 508 also has a floor 520. According to one embodiment, the floor520 and the floor 518 may be formed with a single piece of material.Alternatively, the floor 520 and floor 518 may be separate structuresthat are individually supported by the walls on the housing 504.

The floor 518 of the storage compartment 510 includes a series ofdrainage openings or slots 522. These drainage slots 522 permit anyconcentrated product that spills from the product container within thestorage compartment 510 to drain downwardly into the secondary containerarea 512 where the spilled product will be caught and retained withinthe secondary container 502. The drainage openings 522 could take avariety of forms. For example, the floor 518 could be formed with asloping bottom and single drainage hole as with the embodiment of theFIGS. 4-17. The floor 520 of the dispensing area need not includedrainage holes, as it is likely that only a diluted mixture of theconcentrated product could be spilled onto the floor 520, such that theuser will be safe in directly cleaning such a spill. Alternatively, adrainage opening or openings could be provided in the floor 520 of thedispensing area.

Details of one structure for the secondary container 502 are shown inFIGS. 19 and 20. The secondary container 502 generally takes the form ofa tray that can slide into and out of tracks 524 provided in the wallsof the housing 504. Secondary container 502 includes an exterior lip 526that generally extends laterally outwardly along the top perimeter ofthe secondary container 502. Outer walls 528 extend downwardly from aninner edge of the exterior lip 526 to a floor 530. A baffle 532 extendsupwardly from the floor. The baffle 532 serves to help reduce sloshingof liquid within the secondary container 502 when the secondarycontainer 502 is being moved. The side portions 534 will fit withintracks 524 of the housing 504, such that the secondary container 502 isslidably supported by the housing 504 at the tracks 524. The front lipportion 536 may be contoured to provide a grip for a user to pull thesecondary container 502 outwardly to disconnect the secondary container502 from the housing 504.

As seen in FIG. 20, the floor 530 may be provided with flat areas 538that will accommodate spill packets 540 and spill sock 542. The spillpackets 540 and spill sock 542 may be part of commercially availablespill kits that include absorbent materials to absorb any productsspilled into the secondary container 502 and neutralizing agents tochemically neutralize any concentrated product that spills into thesecondary container 502. By including the spill packets 540 and spillsock 542 in the secondary container 502 when it is in use, small spillsmay be more or less instantly contained and neutralized. A user will beable to retract the secondary container 502 out of the housing 504 anddispose of the packets 540 and/or sock 542 to clean up the small spill.For larger spills, a user will need to dispose of excess liquid notabsorbed by the packets 540 or sock 542, this can be accomplished bycarrying the secondary container 502 to an appropriate disposallocation. The baffle 532 will help prevent sloshing and spilling of theconcentrated product during transportation of the secondary container502 to an appropriate disposal location.

The forgoing description is of preferred examples for implementing theinvention only, and the scope of the invention should not be limited bythis description. Those of skill in the art will be aware of numerousadditions and equivalent alternatives for implementing the invention.The scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dispenser that dispenses a product, thedispenser comprising: a housing; a product container containing aproduct, the product having a product level within the product containerthat ranges between full and empty, the product level having a low levelwherein the product level is near empty; a dispensing apparatusassociated with the product container to withdraw and dispense productfrom the product container at an outlet; a container holder supportingthe product container, the container holder being vertically moveablewithin a movement range; a biasing element supporting the containerholder within the housing that urges the container holder upwardly suchthat a position of the product container in the movement range isdependent upon the product level in the product container; a levelindicator vertically fixed relative to the housing; and a signvertically fixed relative to the container holder, the sign including alow level marking at an upper portion of the sign to indicate when theproduct level is at the low level or lower; and wherein when the productlevel is at the low level or lower, the level indicator is aligned witha portion of the low level marking.
 2. The dispenser of claim 1, whereinwhen the product level is full, the container holder is at a bottom ofthe movement range, and further wherein the when the product level isbetween full and the low level, the container holder remains at thebottom of the movement range.
 3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein thebiasing element comprises a pair of extension springs.
 4. The dispenserof claim 3, further comprising: a U-shaped bracket, the U-shaped brackethaving a base fixed to the housing and a pair of legs extending from thebase, each leg including a spring attachment structure; and a pair ofspring attachment hooks at an upper portion of the container holder; andwherein the pair of extension springs are connected between the springattachment structures and the spring attachment hooks.
 5. The dispenserof claim 1, wherein the level indicator is an opening through thehousing.
 6. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein the housing includes aproduct container holder compartment and a door that selectively opensand closes the product container holder compartment, and further whereinthe opening is a window in the door.
 7. The dispenser of claim 1,wherein: the container holder includes a pair of tabs that extendinglaterally from the container holder; the housing includes a pair ofcontainer holder guides to retain the container holder in the housing,each of the container holder guides including a generally verticallyoriented channel; and the tabs each are received within a correspondingone of the channels.
 8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the biasingelement comprises a pair of compression springs extending between thecontainer holder guides and the tabs.
 9. The dispenser of claim 1,wherein the biasing element comprises a compression spring between thehousing and a lower portion of the container holder.
 10. A dispenserthat dispenses a product and diluent mixture, the dispenser comprising:a housing having a storage area and a dispensing area; an outlet in thedispensing area for dispensing the mixture, the outlet being in fluidcommunication with a diluent source and a product container; a productcontainer holder that supports the product container within the storagearea, the product container holder being vertically movable within amovement range between an upper limit and a lower limit; a levelindicator vertically fixed relative to the housing; a sign connectedwith the container holder such that vertical movement of the containerholder within the movement range causes corresponding movement of thesign relative to the level indicator, the sign including a low levelmarking to indicate a low level of product remaining within the productcontainer; a biasing device between the housing and the container holderthat biases the container holder towards the upper limit of the movementrange; and wherein, when the product container contains a low level ofproduct, the biasing device moves the container holder to anintermediate position above the lower limit of the movement rangethereby moving the sign to a low level position wherein the levelindicator is aligned with the low level marking on the sign.
 11. Thedispenser of claim 10, wherein when the product container contains morethan a low level of product, the container holder remains at the lowerlimit of the movement range.
 12. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein thebiasing element comprises a pair of extension springs.
 13. The dispenserof claim 12, further comprising: a U-shaped bracket, the U-shapedbracket having a base fixed to the housing and a pair of legs extendingfrom the base, each leg including a spring attachment structure; and apair of spring attachment hooks at an upper portion of the containerholder; and wherein the pair of extension springs are connected betweenthe spring attachment structures and the spring attachment hooks. 14.The dispenser of claim 10, wherein the level indicator is an openingthrough the housing.
 15. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the housingcomprises a door that selectively opens and closes the storage area, andfurther wherein the opening is in the door.
 16. The dispenser of claim10, wherein: the container holder includes a pair of tabs that extendinglaterally from the container holder; the housing includes a pair ofcontainer holder guides in the storage area to retain the containerholder in the housing, each of the container holder guides including agenerally vertically oriented channel; and the tabs each are receivedwithin a corresponding one of the channels.
 17. The dispenser of claim16, wherein the biasing element comprises a pair of compression springsextending between the container holder guides and the tabs.
 18. Thedispenser of claim 10, wherein the biasing element comprises acompression spring between the housing and a lower portion of thecontainer holder.
 19. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein the product iscleaning product.
 20. The dispenser of claim 19, wherein the productcomprises peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide.